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Chronicle 2011-2015

2011

Rheinmetall increases its stake in ADS Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme mbH of Lohmar, Germany, to 74%, giving it a majority interest in the company.

Rheinmetall boots its share in Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH from 51% to 100%. The company is renamed Rheinmetall Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH.

Bodo Garbe, head of the Air Defence division, is appointed to the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence in July, with special responsibility for the Defence Electronics, Simulation and Training, and Air Defence divisions as well as Rheinmetall Technical Publications.

The first five Boxers are delivered to Bundeswehr units in Afghanistan, where they serve as section transport vehicles in a training and security battalion.

Klaus Eberhardt, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG, assumes the presidency of the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), succeeding Spain’s Domingo Ureña-Raso, CEO of Airbus Military (Madrid). Mr Eberhardt is the first German in five years to head this European association, which includes the chairmen of 15 leading corporations of the European aerospace and defence technology sector. The ASD has 28 member associations and represents over 2,000 companies, including many small and medium-sized enterprises.

2012

Pietro Borgo is appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence, while also serving as Chairman of the Board of Management of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH.

The Bundeswehr places an order with Rheinmetall to supply it with the state-of-the-art Gladius soldier system. The systems, worth around €50 million, are used to equip units earmarked for deployment to Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014.

Rheinmetall and General Dynamics establish Defense Munitions International, a joint venture for marketing 120mm tank ammunition in the United States. The two Groups each have a 50% stake in the company.

Rheinmetall Landsysteme modernizes the Fuchs/Fox armoured transport vehicle for the Bundeswehr. The new version, known as the 1A8, offers enhanced protection from landmines and improvised explosive devices, enabling an expanded operational spectrum. In addition, the overhaul includes new functions such as fire protection and disposal of unexploded ordnance.

At Eurosatory in Paris, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH unveils its new HX2 truck, equipped with an integrated protected cabin and an ADS Active Defence System. This makes the HX2 the world’s only truck now able to offer protection from light antitank weapons.

Effective 1 September 2012, Dr. Andreas Schwer becomes a Member of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence.

In November Rheinmetall Air Defence transfers the modular, networkable Mantis air defence system to the Federal Agency for Equipment, Information Technology and In-service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw).

Creation of Rheinmetall Simulation Australia Pty. Ltd. The company’s mission is to supply the Australian armed forces with products and services in the high-tech field of simulation-based technology.

The Group launches “Rheinmetall 2015”, a major restructuring programme encompassing greater internationalization, product innovation and cost management, aimed at sustained expansion of Rheinmetall’s leading position in international markets.

Rheinmetall begins construction of a new headquarters building at the site of its former plant in Düsseldorf-Derendorf.

After reaching the age limit, Dr Gerd Kleinert steps down from the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG on 31 December and enters retirement.

Rheinmetall Defence

The Australian Defence Force orders some 2,500 medium- and heavyweight protected logistics trucks from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV), with delivery scheduled to take place between 2016 and 2020. In addition, RMMV ships the first of 200 military trucks to the New Zealand Defence Force.

The German Bundeswehr orders seven Fuchs/Fox armoured transport vehicles worth a total of €37 million. Specially configured for ordnance detection and identification (“KAI”), delivery of the new vehicles begins in November.

In multiple live fire demonstrations, Rheinmetall Air Defence proves the effectiveness of its “Air Defence HEL Effector” in an air defence role, with high-energy laser effectors integrated into a Skyshield gun turret.

In Unterluess, a modern shearing and bending centre is commissioned in February.

At the German Army Tank School in Munster, tactical trials with the Puma AIFV begin in March.

On 21 May, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Puma production facility in Unterluess takes place.

The Rheinmetall Landsysteme plant in Gersthofen near Augsburg closes in June.

Rheinmetall and Ferrostaal GmbH of Essen join forces in September to found Rheinmetall International Engineering AG. Headquartered in Geisenheim near Frankfurt, the new joint venture singlehandedly plans and constructs turnkey factories, serving as general contractor or subcontractor.

At RMMV’s plant at Ede in the Netherlands, the 200th Boxer multirole armoured vehicle rolls off the assembly line on 30 September.

In summer, two of the Bundeswehr’s nine new newly built Puma AIFVs undergo hot weather trials in the desert in Abu Dhabi. The certification process for the Puma is successfully concluded in October.

2014

Rheinmetall lays the foundation stone for the “Delta D” building in Düsseldorf.

Rheinmetall celebrates its 125th anniversary with a gala evening at Messe Düsseldorf.

Rheinmetall Defence

Peter Sebastian Krause takes over from Ingo Hecke as a member of the Defence Executive Board at Rheinmetall AG with responsibility for Human Resources.

Series production of the Puma infantry transport vehicle starts in the newly built Hall 319 in Unterluess, the largest production hall of the Test Centre Unterluess – EZU.

Construction of a hall to produce protected cabs for military trucks begins in Unterluess.

The Bundeswehr takes delivery of the first Leopard 2A7 battle tank.

At Nitrochemie Aschau, an investment is made in a paper deacidification facility to also offer the "papersave swiss" process to conserve historical documents in Germany.

The management contract for the German Army Training Centre with the Bundeswehr is extended by four years.

2015

Rheinmetall AG

July: As part of a Group initiative, Rheinmetall launches the “Intrapreneur Award 2016” in order to give employees the chance to develop and implement innovative business ideas.

21 August: The topping out ceremony is held for the new DeltaD building, the final major project as part of the reassignment of the former Rheinmetall production site in Derendorf, which is destined to become Rheinmetall’s administrative headquarters.

16 September: In the face of the influx of refugees to Germany, Rheinmetall announces 50 additional apprenticeships for recognised refugees and 50 more internships throughout the Group.

May: The contract to supply French cooperation partner Nexter with propellant powder worth EUR 50 million is Nitrochemie AG’s largest ever single contract.

7/8 June: The leaders of the G7 major industrial nations meet for a summit at Schloss Elmau in Upper Bavaria. A team of nine experts from Rheinmetall Public Security uses a state-of-the-art UMIT drone detection system to carefully safeguard guests and delegates against undesired or malicious interventions.

1 July: Australian Gordon Hargreave is appointed to the Defence Executive Board. He takes charge of the Electronic Solutions Division at Bodo Garbe.

August: Armoured vehicle cabins go into production in Unterlüss.

Rheinmetall is awarded the contract for the construction and operation of a state-of-the-art training centre worth approx. EUR 250 million in total. It will be used for the training and professional development of operating personnel for the production platforms run by the Mexican state-owned oil and natural gas company PEMEX. Following the three-year con-struction and installation phase, Rheinmetall will operate the centre in Mexico for a period of twelve years. The main contractor is RH Mexico Simulation & Training S.A. de C.V.

December: The Bundeswehr awards Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann the contract to supply a further 131 GTK Boxer armoured transport vehicles.